Ortiz & Gregg on the suspensions

David Ortiz and Kevin Gregg will both start their lessened punishments tonight, serving three-game suspensionsas well as getting reductions in their $2500 fines. Here’s what they had to say..

GREGG

[on if he talked to the League]

“Yea, I talked to the league a little bit, I talked to the player’s association a little bit. But the bottom line is trying to do what’s in the best interest of the team. Just to get things done, to take my time now. Ortiz is taking him time now, so I still don’t think it’s fair that we have the same fine, same suspension, but we’re going to move past that point and get on with the season.

[on if there will be any carryover or if all the ill will is done?]

“Yea, I’m not going to charge a batter or nothing. We’re going to stand out there, we are going to make our pitches, we’re going to play the game the way it should be. I don’t think there’s going to be any carryover, I think we’re going to go out and play the game hard, win every game and that’s about it.”

[on the Orioles losing Guerrero to the DL stemming from a hit by pitch that series]

“You look at the whole breakdown of it, we lost our DH for two weeks and they lost theirs for three days. So, no it’s not fair. But what you can do, you got to play the game.”

[on the Red Sox]
“They’re a good club. But they look at us and when we try to pitch in -and we’ve hit maybe 20 guys the whole year and they’re in the mid-50s, and then they get mad at us when we hit somebody. In the last series we weren’t even guy for a guy at all and they complain about us pitching in. I pitched in to David [Ortiz] and got him out, and there were complaints. So sometimes I think they hold themselves to a little bit higher standard than everybody else. I think we should all be treated equally.”

[on if there’s a chip on the Orioles’ shoulder]
“I hope our team always has a chip on its shoulder. You got something to prove over time you go in between the white lines. Guys are learning that, getting the experience and taking that step together as a team is all part of it.”

ORTIZ

[on his suspension]
“I found out this morning. It happened and I’ve got to take it like a man. They told us and we agreed and that’s about it.”

[on if he wanted to present his side to the League]

“I don’t want to go over the same thing again. Doing what I did wasn’t the right thing to do. I’m going to be punished for that like anyone else. You try and get it over with.”

[on if the suspensions will cool the bad blood]

“Like I tell you guys before, when a situation like that goes down, it happens at the time and then it’s over. I don’t think it’s going to be the same situation. They made their decision the way they wanted to. That’s it.”

Categories

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.